I have bronchiectasis, which causes inflammation to the bronchial tubes and windpipes that started after having pneumonia and a mycobacterium avium (MAC) infection many years ago. Mucus builds up in my respiratory system causing irritation and chronic staph infections.
I'm always coughing and have had problems living in an apartment, because my neighbor said my coughing kept her awake at night.
I have become resistant to many antibiotics and clearing the mucus from my lungs has become a full time job. I need to get plenty of exercise, but the outside air quality is not always good. I have to avoid areas where people are barbequing. During the winter, many people use wood burning stoves, which really irritates my respiratory system.
There are now laws saying that people can't smoke cigarettes in stores, but they stand outside the entranceways, so you can't get into the store without breathing their smoke. There need to be laws regarding outdoor air quality too.
